AUSTRALIANS DEFEATED SI NATIONAL TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 342, 28 August 1933, Page 8

AUSTRALIANS DEFEATED SI NATIONAL TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Press Association. — Copyright. New York, Aug. 26

In the national tennis championships yesterday Lott and Stoeffcn (United States) defeated Crawford and McGrath (Australia), 6—2, 7—5, 7—5. The Australians made a decidedly bad start, permitting their opponents to amass a 4—o lead. McGrath’s double-handed backhands wore driving the ball yards, out, while Crawford found his returns placed unget-tably at his feet.

The Australians saved the set point in the seventh game, hut lost the eighth to love, Lott’s and Stoeffon’s strokes being steady as against the constant errors of the Australians. In the second set there was evidently something lackadaisical in the Australians’ play. They seemed just able to make their strokes “come off,” The Americans were decidedly in form and took a 4—2 lead. The Australians by a brilliant spurt evened at 5 —5. This was the first most important break in the Americans’ winning streak, but the Australians almost immediately lapsed into short driving, their opponents taking the next two games and winning the last to love.

The Australians unquestionably improved in the third set, terminating some exceptionally splendid rallies with winning points. Sto-efTen was temporarily a weak link, the Australians pounding his service with unget,table returns. For the first time in the match they led 4—3 and then 5—4. It was, however, a brief bid for power. Crawford’s nets in the 11th game reversed the positions of the teams and the Americans led 6—5. It was the end, as the 'Americans took the 12th game handily on Lott’s service. Lott and Stoeffcn won largely by concentrating against McGrath, whose twohanded backhand collapsed under the heavy lire of the hard-hitting Americans. McGrath’s errors enabled their opponents to gain the opening set in less than 15 minutes’ play. Shields and Parker (United States) defeated Perry and Wilde (England), 6 —2, 6-1, 3—6, 7-5. In the doubles quarter-finals to-day Vines and Gledhill defeated Jack Tidball and Gene Make (Los Angeles), 7—5, 6—3, G—3, and Quist and Turnbull defeated Allison and Van Ryn, 15—13, o—6, 6—l, 7-5. In the first set Allison and Van Ryn led 5—3 and were thrice at set-point on Quist’s service in the ninth game, but they netted or drove out and found their lead reduced to 5—4. The Australians drew level at 5—5. They were then as brilliant as their opponents were “spotty” and drew ahead to 6—5, but the Americans evened the score with a love game. There then followed some evenly-matched games, punctuated by long-drawn and hard-fought rallies. The set developed into a test of main strength in which the hardest tennis of the tournament thus far was played. The teams alternated in quality of play, patchiness following brilliancy with bewildering rapidity. Rarely in championship tennis has a gams been fought as was the 26th, in which the Australians were set point but were unable to clinch it, and the Americans evened the score at 13—1" Turnbull took the next game to love on his service and the Australians capped then - performance superbly by taking the next also to love on Van Ryn’s service to end the set. The gruelling struggle had taken something out of the Australians, and in the second set they dropped five games in a row in five minutes in an exhibition of

BAD START ENABLES AMERICANS TO' OBTAIN 4—o LEAD

In the mixed doubles second round Miss Peggy Scrivcn and Crawford defeated Miss Jane Sharp and Stoeffcn, 6—4, 4—6, 6-2. Miss Helen Jacobs, the defending champion, defeated Mrs. Wills-Moody in the

final B—6, 3—B, 3—o (default). After winning only five points in the first three games of the final set Mrs. Wills-Moody went to the judges’ stand and announced she was unable to continue. It was a dramatic and disappointing conclusion to one of the most spectacular matches in the history of the women’s championship. Seven times previously they had met with’Mrs. Wills-Moody never losing even a' set.

. nerveless tennis. They then patiently let 1 the sixth go, knowing the set was irreclaimable They returned to fight the third set, beraking the Americans’ winning streak with bcautifuliv played game after game, losing only the fourth on a temporary lapse, in accuracy. Thr.V were literally driving the Americans •’■■n their feet with the large gallery breathless and cheering. Returning to the courts apparently much refreshed the teams resumed the struggle on an even basis in the I amah set, which in common with (he others was fought at the not for the greater part, testing tire volleying skill of the players.. The Americans were set point on Quist’s service in the tenth game, but the Australians pulled it out of in a fire by standing as the r.-'t and simply blasting their opponents from the court. They then lobbed high in the next game to see their opponents drop their shots into the net. The Australians went into a commanding position at 6—5, from which they would not be budged, settling the match with the next game. They will play Lott and Stoeffcn on Monday, the other semi-final being Vines and Gledhill against Shields and Parker.

In the semi-final of the women’s singles at Forest Hills Miss Helen Jacobs (United States) defeated Miss D. E. Round‘(England), 6—4, 5—7, 6—2. Mrs. Wills-Moody and Miss Ryan (United States) defeated Miss Round and Miss Heeley (England), 6—2, 7 —5 in the doubles’ semi-final.

The crowd of 7000 became wildly excited as Miss Jacobs crashed through in the initial set. Miss Jacobs had the support of the crowd, “My right leg kept bothering me; I simply could not get to the ball,” Mrs. Wills-Moody said after-

wards. -“There was no use in my continuing, though I disliked very much having to retire. Miss Jacobs was playing beautiful tennis and deserved to win.” Mrs. Wills-Moody was wearing a truss as a result of a spinal injury which caused her to withdraw- from the Wightman Cup matches several weeks ago. Her right leg, however, bothered her more than her back. She said she had also decided to withdraw from the doubles, in which she was paired with Miss Ryan, thus giving the title by default to Miss Betty Nuthall and Miss James.

The United States Tennis Association to-day completed arrangements for two international team matches at Chicago and Cincinnati following the national singles at Forest Hills. On September 11 teams representing England and Japan will meet at Cincinnati, and on September 12 and 13 picked squads from Aus-

tralia and the United States will compete at Chicago, Australia being represented by the full Davis Cup team and tho United States by leading player;.